


Feigned Peace

by XX121



Category: Halloween (2018), Halloween Movies - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fanfiction, Gore, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Graphic Description of Corpses, Horror, Michael's being Michael, Plot, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Repressed Memories, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Slow Burn, originally posted on fanfiktion.de
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 15:28:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20137708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XX121/pseuds/XX121
Summary: Life could have been so nice for Susan. But when she receives the sad news of her parents' death, everything changes. Alone in a house of forgotten memories, strange nightmares begin to haunt Susan's mind. Searching for the truth it leads her to Smith's Grove. Soon she is defenseless to a patient named Michael Myers, who shows her the truth faster than she likes.





	Feigned Peace

27th Februrary 1978  
Lampkin Lane 47, Haddonfield,  
Warren County, Illinois

Early Morning

In spring 1978 it was done. Susan, at the young age of 20 was completely alone in this world. Barely a few weeks had passed that she received the news of her parents death, however she still didn't realized it. Before that news her world was complete, graduating with top grades, she was ready to move back to her parents house in Haddonfield. Susan barley remembered that town, because the last time she was there was when she visited her parents along with her grandma. That day was 9 months ago, when she had her grandma in Kansas. It only took 9 months for Life to shatter her fragile dream; during 9 simple months she had lost three beloved ones. Her life lay in pieces and she'd became broke when Bobby weren't by her side.

Her boyfriend had found her at that day as she sat before the bathtub. He carried her to bed while she was drenched in tears, having swollen eyes; lying next to her while she'd cried till there was no more left inside of her aching soul. His shirt was wet with snot and tears but it didn't bother him. As she moved back into her parents house a few weeks ago, he hugged her. He was there for her since the first anxiety attack that had happened in the dormitory. At the day she moved, he was by her side and she loved him for that. Susan remembered that day clearly, his blond hair was back-combed and his soft, green eyes looked every once in a while into her direction as he'd put a carton inside her car.

“Don't do that face. I'll get along on my own.” Susan lied in that moment; covering her own worries with a soft giggle. She'd definitely not get along on her own, but she wanted to calm Bobby, though she knew he didn't believed her words. He was the perfect man for marriage. Caressing, faithful and with a love that reached into the depths of the oceans. “Just take care of yourself, ok? It'll took me some time to follow.” His cigarette moved between his lips as he murmured with a soft voice, putting the last carton into the trunk. “It's just for a few months, Bobby. I'll survive them...promise.” As he hugged Susan that day and whispering sweet nothings into her ear, Susan had enjoyed this tender moment. In that second she didn't knew that her life would change again due to a few simple months. If someone had asked her how her life would be in forty years, the answer was clear. She would be married to Bobby and would've spend her honeymoon with a tour through Europe. She would've became a mother of a boy named Jimmy, who would've had Bobby's blonde hair and maybe a daughter that got Susan's full lips and carried the name Elaine, Susan's passed mothers name. But who would've thought how it really develops?

After she moved back into her parents home, everything had changed. She was alone in a huge house, surrounded by photos of a happy family and with the feeling that her parents would return every second from the weekly purchase. She remembered the sound when her father unlocked the front door, whistling cheerfully. But all she heard after moving in was the life outside the house. Susan had stand that miser only one week until she lost her temper. A cup crashed against the wall, a sobbing cry followed as she got rid of everything; her mothers favorite coffee cup, all family photos and also the photo album she'd made at age 7, before moving to her grandma. She brought everything into the small loft. Due to many tears she stumbled up the ladder, not bothering the pain in her knee. She wanted silence, needed it! But nothing changed her misery, till the nightmares began...

  
There was only on scene that she could't get out of her head, neither if she felt asleep on the couch late at night, television still on or when she slept in the guest room, it's window directed to the backyard. The moment she closed her eyes and darkness surrounded her, the image crept into her head. A boy nearly five or six years old lay on the ground, shock widen eyes looking up in to the sky while his breathing was stertorous and heavy. His dark blonde hair covered in dirt whilst blood started to pour from underneath his head and slowly creating a small puddle. And Susan? She only stood there, speechless as the boy had fallen from a tree, observing the red liquid every single time as it sticked to the boy's hair and dried on the ground. That second she always started to scream...

Susan's body shot up instantly, as she woke up from her own scream. _'Dear me!'_ She thought and realized that her muscles were shaking frantically. She was out of breath, gasping and wheezing for air as she felt the cold-sweat that she was overdrawn with. Without hesitation she grabbed her inhaler, breathing in the medication. _'Holy shit...'_ The dream would probably kill her sooner or later in sleep! Her shaking hands stroked over her face, into the sticky hairline as felt that her airways open up slowly. _'What the hell was that?!'_ The wheezing slowed down, breath soothed and Susan felt the strong beating of her heart. With every pulse rate it pumped just more adrenaline through her veins. She payed no attention to the storm outside, she just couldn't because her head was a total mess.

Something changed, she knew that while sensing that disgusting feeling around her. Slowly it crept out of the shadows, crawling over to her bed as it's claws dig into the sheets right beside her body. That feeling nearly gobbled her psyche and Susan stared mute into the darkness in front of her. A lightning illuminated the bedroom, letting surreal monsters dance around. Susan looked at the covered mirror that stood like stiff stature in the corner beside her wardrobe. _'God, Bobby... I need you...' _Without him she was a total wreck, sensing ghosts that didn't exists and would probably loosing her mind. Latter would be happening, Susan was certain of that. She could't stop noticing that her hackles raised as she stared into the shadows. Something had definitely changed and as she realized what it was, it hit her with so much force, flipping her psyche upside down.

“Michael...” Susan's voice was a only a breathless whisper as she pronounced the name shaky. It was like lost relic left by that dream, reminding her at it every time she'd hear the name _Michael_. A mental instrument of torture, which she'd face constantly again. _'That was surely his name... But what happened to him? And why was there so much blood?'_ Questions about this memory were boring into her mind deeper and deeper as the mental torture began. A memory seemingly ruining Susan if she wouldn't find answers to that particular dream. _'Need to drink...'_ She thought after a few minutes while sitting mutely in bed and starring into the hollowness. She'd forgotten again to put a water bottle next to her. Actually Susan had to go back to sleep but that dream was to disturbing and she sat up at the edge of the bed, sighing. _'What time is it?'_ Sighing a hand searched for the bedside lamp. _'Light here.... just 4:40?'_ Sighing she put the inhaler aside while getting up vigilant. Bare foots shuffled sluggish on the the ground to the open door that lead into the hallway, stopping then. _'...light here...'_ She grope blindly at the wall till the hallway was illuminated and setting a foot through the doorframe on top of the bright carpet that displayed the ground.

Susan hated the darkness and refused to look through the other doors into the dark rooms. Inside those shadows silhouettes and visages were lurking, triggering her anxiety attacks only more. Though Bobby wasn't around the lightning switches were Susan's heroes. She looked to the front door, checking if everything was the same way it was when she went to bed. The door was locked and the additional lock was still in the rail. _'Safe!'_ As she turned her head to the right, looking into the kitchen she abruptly froze while observing the tall silhouette that stood beside the back door. Tall, broad and completely motionless the silhouette stood there and stared back. Susan's pulse quickened, a tingling sensation started inside her belly as the adrenaline wanted to hunt down her body again. She could saw that the strange silhouette was breathing slowly, remaining silently as if it was lay in wait for quiet a while.

Slowly her hand searched for the lightning switch on the kitchen wall, continuing to stare at the tall creature that stood in the corner; lurking towards her. Susan's eyes burned already but she refused the blinking reflex and flipped on the switch. _'...and light here. Voilà!'_ The creature was gone! Only the corner shelf was there, at it's side just the hook with dishtowels and apron. She inspected the floral printed fabric, than went to the fridge to grab cold milk. During that she also checked the backdoor with a critical glare, sitting down calmly on the table with a glass and the milk bottle afterwards. A newspaper, a small clock and a stack of documents from her parents lay on top of the table. 'I know him from somewhere...but from where for god's sake!' She sat mute in the kitchen, drinking the whole bottle of milk while being on a mental search for traces, she than heard a car outside starting. _'Woah, already morning?!'_ Blinking and with a frustrated yet tired sigh she observed though the window as Mr. Morris left the driveway with attache and his AMC Rambler.

_'Maybe I should look at the documents...'_ Sighing, two small hands grabbed the documents, beginning slowly the search; credit approvals for her parents home or car, birth documents and insurance papers. Susan searched the documents; looking at one paper more closely while her heart began to crack. _'Mom looked so beautiful...'_ She observed the photo of her parents marriage certificate, a white dress worn by a bright smiling woman who looked into the camera lens. There it was again, that sorrow. The woman was just dead, just disappeared from an overdose of sleeping pills after she had received the news of her husband's car accident. He' drove while he was drunk, Susan had been told that at least. The reasons she didn't know. Her father must have started drinking and when he was gone, Elaine, Susan's mother didn't seem to processed the news. They just left Susan alone ... _'Why were they eaten up that much?'_ She swallowed and quickly pushed the document with the photo away before bring tears pooled into her eyes. It wasn't just fair to be alone in the world and she looked one document after the other until she blinked in amazement at a drug plan.

_'Shirley Jankin's...'_ She read it in her thoughts and studied the plan more closely. She didn't know the woman's name, but an idea slowly crept into the foreground of her thoughts. _'I never met Dad's relatives ...'_ The plan revealed something. It was from a sanatorium called Smith's Grove and the patient number was: "B... 1104..." Susan read it out loud and thought for a moment as she looked at the list of medicines. _'... antipsychotics, anxiolytics... phase prophylactics... Jesus, the woman really has a heavy damage...'_ Susan thought, playing with the idea of a relative on her father's side. _'Certainly... otherwise it wouldn't be in Dad's documents!' _She searched the entire pile and became more and more curious, but nothing could be found.

Nothing at all, except this medication plan. _'Nothing at all... then I'm just asking Mr. Miller... Maybe he knows something...'_ With that in mind, Susan swung herself off the chair and switched off the kitchen light, only to rush back into the guest room, changing her clothes. As she washed briefly in the bathroom, Susan saw that Mr. Miller was already getting in the weekly newspaper and slowly made his way back up to his porch and into the house. The old man always checked whether the bird bath still had enough water. _'The same ritual every time...'_ Susan thought with a faint smile and then flitted out the front door when she did not look so sleepy anymore.

The newspaper was already lying on the lawn in her front yard too, but she would take it with her later when she returned from the Miller's house. Susan took a deep breath as the cool spring air lured with all kinds of scents. She smelled the first flowers already and thought that she could even magically smelling the sun, as it's warmth seemed to make the air much more pleasant. Nonetheless, the young woman wrapped her cardigan tighter around her body and toddled over to the house next door while wearing her slippers. _'The bird bath is still half full...'_ It really was, with a feather lying in the water. Susan went up the porch and rang the doorbell, wrapping her arms around her body to protect herself from the morning cold. "I'm coming!" Called a deep and hoarse voice and Susan listened as slow footsteps and low murmurs could be heard on the other side of the door. The next moment the door opened and Mr. Miller squinted over the edges of his reading glasses before suddenly blinking speechlessly. "Gosh ... you're Elaine's little girl ... Susan, right?" Blinking, Susan looked at the older man and swallowed slightly. He was in his mid 80s and already completely white on his head but Susan somehow recognized the big brown button eyes again. "My sincere condolences, child ..." he added more gently.

Susan looked at the old eyes before the lump in her throat suddenly became stronger than before. She tried to swallow it, but the tears came right into her eyes as she faced the old man who had known her parents very well. "T-Thank you Mr. Miller ... I ... I-I thought maybe you could help me with something ..." The young woman brought in a shaky voice over her lips and struggled with the sadness that again was rising in her. "Of course, Dear... Come in. I made fresh coffee, if you like some ... Oh and please call me Jeff as before..." He said quietly and opened the door more, before he waved her to enter. Susan nodded thanks and looked around the hall, on the way to the kitchen, more specifically. 'He'd definitely smoked ...' she thought as she looked at the photos on the staircase wall. But what exactly it was, she did not know, because it smelled strange and very intense. His wife smiled in one pictures and held a thick, ball-shaped pug dog in her arms, which had probably had named Herman, according to the caption. Susan smiled slightly at the name and found herself in the kitchen a little later. The old man put her a cup of coffee and offered her a seat, milk and sugar followed and Susan nodded thankfully.

"You know, I'd known your family very well. One of the few newcomers who settled directly into the neighborhood. Of course we as old-established families really liked that..." He smiled at her and evidently tried to cheer her up a bit. Susan kept sipping coffee until she decided to dilute it with some milk. "Dear, if you need help, don't be afraid to ask old Jeff and what was on you mind... How can I help you?" He shuffled his coffee and then took off the reading glasses. She sipped again at the coffee and then forced herself to ask her question. "I can't remember exactly because I was so small back then, but .... do you perhaps know a boy named Michael? He should be about my age and I should- "A whining woman's voice from the next room interrupted Susan and she stopped. "Oh, shush! Please do not say the name aloud... It stresses her..." The old man said, seeming slightly worried when he heard the woman's voice.

Susan was about to apologize when the voice whimpered pitifully again. The voice was low, hoarse and sounded as if the woman was suffering from pain. "I'll be there in a few minutes, dear!" Called the old man, who sipped his coffee in one gulp and then rose slowly. "I'm sorry, but unfortunately you have to leave. I need to take care of the old lady next room..." Susan didn't understand at first and blinked before she got up, nodding. "I'm sorry, Mr. Miller. I did not want to make any trouble or annoy your wife..." But the old man raised his hand placatingly and smiled gently. "Don't worry, Dear. But please do me a favor and forget the name, ok? It's not a good omen to ask for the devil..." The old neighbor escorted her to the front door and Susan blinked as her thoughts began to race again. _'What did he mean by that? ...The devil?'_ When the young woman stepped out onto the porch and the old man was about to close the door, she involuntarily turned around. Her voice just came out of her throat while she couldn't hold it back. "Mr. Miller, please I'm really sorry, that was not my intention. But allow a quick question! Do you know a Shirley Jankins from the Smith's Grove Sanatorium? "She looked at the old man with wide, waiting eyes, but he just shook his head and opened the door a bit more. "No, I have never heard the name. But I'll give you one advice, little lady. Whatever you are looking for, do not dig too deep in the past. Sometimes a huge mess comes out that nobody wants to see ... "

_'Another rejection! Where should I even apply next?!'_ Annoyed she made breakfast. A peanut butter, jam and banana slice sandwich, just as she liked it. From the work surface she could look straight into the Millers' nursing room and studied the couple for a moment. It was the living room that they had temporarily converted to be the nursing room. There was a very skinny woman in the bed, apparently babbling, and Mr. Miller was sitting by her bed. He stroked his wife's gray hair and probably whispered things like, 'It's going to be okay, sweetheart ... Do not worry, it'll be alright ...', at least that's what Susan thought. The woman's tear-stained eyes wandered around the room aimlessly, as if searching for something. Now and then she met Susan's eyes blankly and Susan knew that the woman did not notice her at all.

_'Poor old woman...' _Susan thought, looking at the severely ill woman whose body was attached to machinery, than Susan could tear herself away from the sight. With her favorite breakfast and a warm cup of cocoa, the young woman sat down at the table and searched the job advertisements of the small town. _'Little Lady he called me...'_ She thought and blinked as her thoughts no longer drifted onto the printed paper, but drifted into a surreal blackness. ' She sat motionless at the table, were concentrated at the newspaper; she didn't even notice it anymore. A black veil lay on her mind, until she could hear childlike voice, giggling wildly in a distant. Her mind slowly plunged into a surreal scenery from late midsummer. She raised her eyebrows and tried to understand what was going on in her mind's memory. Susan could feel the sun on her skin and also how the heat gently settled on her body. Slowly pictures appeared, which became more and more clear, until finally she felt a strange feeling in the stomach and froze.

_~_  
_ There he stood with his dark blond hair and his eyes looking directly into hers. Susan chuckled in a childlike voice as the boy handed her a few daisies. "Now this is a bunch of flowers, Sue! Bet your Mom's gonna love it! "She looked at her hand and was surprised when she held a bunch of flowers in a small hand. 'How old was I? Maybe four or five?' Susan couldn't say exactly, but the pictures were so clear that she didn't really know how to handle them. "D-Do you want to ask Mrs. Miller for some biscuits, Michael? Mom said she made some today..." She seemed to have been very introverted at the time, maybe even anxious. One thing, however, was crystal clear, she had known the boy in her dream and apparently had been friends with him. Blinking, Susan lingered in her strange daydream and was pulled along by the boy, Michael, to the neighbors house. The Miller's house appeared and she was at the front door a little later when the boy had rung the doorbell. "You should ask yourself, if you want any..." But when she could hear the grin in his voice, she stepped behind him abruptly and lingered watchfully as Mr. Miller opened the door._

_"Hello Mr. Miller, we smelled the biscuits form the garden!" Said the boy and made the man laugh. "So you both thought that you just came over, yes? Wait a minute, the old lady does the laundry in the basement..." He closed the door behind him, only to reopen it after a few moments with four biscuits; handing them the homemade chocolate biscuits. The boy grabbed them with a thanks, but opened his mouth and was ready to taste the still-warm biscuits. "Nah nah Michael, that's not the way to handle a lady!" Susan blinked at the boy who stopped and Mr. Miller winked his index finger. "I know that your mother taught you to be a polite boy. And how does a gentleman treat the little lady by his side, huh?" Mr. Miller gestured that the boy should share and smiled gently. Susan could hear, however, that the boy was slightly annoyed. When she looked at him, he tilted his head slightly and sighed heavily. "Yes Mr. Miller! A gentleman puts his lady first! "Mumbled the blond boy and then turned to her. Susan could see the blush on his cheeks and blinked as he offered her two cookies with a shy grin. "Here, little lady, from today I'll put you first!"_  
_ ~_

The images blurred again before her eyes and Susan looked at the newspaper, rigid and lost in thought. _'Mr. Miller knew the boy too, but why didn't he say anything?'_ Her thoughts were completely confused and impossible to understand. Blinking, the young woman shook her head and then realized that she had been unconsciously flipping through the newspaper in her trance-like memory. _'That's impossible!'_ She leaned closer to the newspaper and looked directly at a vacancy notice from Smith's Grove Sanatorium...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! 
> 
> it was just little update because I wanted this story to be more like the german version I’m writing simultaneously. If you’re German, Austrian or speak German otherwise, I recommend also the German version. You can find it under the same name at fanfiktion.de in the category: Kino-& TV-Filme, and than in the sub category Sonstige Kino- & TV-Filme. 
> 
> So if you start reading this work you will dive into a whole story set inside the Halloween fandom with background, new characters and subplot and because of that it’ll take me some time to upload new chapters. Still I hope you’ll like it. Feel free to leave kudos and/or comments. I’m open to constructive criticism and your thoughts about the story. 
> 
> It’s my first work in englisch and I hope it’s readable. 
> 
> Please Note: I don't owe anything and all rights belong to John Carpenter, Debra Hill and Compass International Pictures as well as Miramar, Blumhouse Productions, Francas International Films and Rough House Pictures.


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